docs/book/src/reference/feature-matrix.md
A high-level inventory of selected ZeroClaw capability sets, compared against OpenClaw and Hermes. It provides a quick starting point; feature-gated, non-default, and runtime-only capabilities may require the linked subsystem documentation.
The generated ZeroClaw sections below each reflect a specific source: the curated ChannelsConfig::channels() metadata list, canonical provider slots, or the minimal default tool set. They stay aligned with those inputs, but they are not exhaustive inventories of every compile-time channel or conditionally registered tool. The OpenClaw and Hermes columns come from docs/book/feature-matrix-parity.toml, the reviewable source for parity facts the binary has no knowledge of.
| Status | Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Supported | ✅ | Implemented and documented; safe to rely on |
| Partial | 🟡 | Works with caveats or covers a subset of the surface |
| Experimental | 🧪 | Present but may change; validate before depending on it |
| Planned | 📋 | Tracked but not yet implemented |
| None | ❌ | Not available on that runtime |
| Unknown | ❓ | Parity not yet recorded for that runtime |
| Mode | Status | Reference |
|---|---|---|
Local CLI (zeroclaw agent) | ✅ | Quickstart |
| Daemon / OS service | ✅ | Service |
| Gateway HTTP + web dashboard | ✅ | Gateway HTTP API, Web dashboard |
| ZeroCode terminal UI | ✅ | ZeroCode |
| Container | ✅ | Container |
| Linux / macOS / Windows | ✅ | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| FreeBSD / NixOS | ✅ | FreeBSD, NixOS |
| SBC / edge (Raspberry Pi class) | ✅ | Hardware |
| VPS / cloud VM | ✅ | Network deployment |
Generated from the manually curated ChannelsConfig::channels() metadata list. Compile-only or non-config channel surfaces may be outside this table. The canonical per-channel setup detail lives on each channel's own page.
{{#include ../_snippets/feature-matrix-channels.md}}
Generated from the canonical model-provider slots
(canonical_model_provider_slots). See the
Providers overview for per-provider configuration.
{{#include ../_snippets/feature-matrix-providers.md}}
Generated from the minimal default tool registry (default_tools). Conditional and full-runtime tools are outside this table; their canonical inventory and gating rules live in the Tools overview and built-in tool inventory.
{{#include ../_snippets/feature-matrix-tools.md}}
Standard Operating Procedures are deterministic, trigger-matched
procedures run by the SopEngine with approval gates and auditable run state
(how they run, syntax). This row is
hand-recorded rather than code-walked: SOP is not part of the channel, provider,
or tool registries the tables above are generated from.
| Capability | ZeroClaw | OpenClaw | Hermes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deterministic SOP engine (trigger match, approval gates, audited runs) | 🧪 | ❌ | 🟡 |
ZeroClaw's SopEngine is present but still maturing: MQTT, filesystem, and AMQP
are wired live fan-in sources, while webhook, cron, peripheral, and calendar
triggers are defined and matched but not yet routed to a live source, so the
capability is experimental. OpenClaw has no deterministic-procedure engine
(its exec-approval flow is a per-tool permission prompt, not a step runner), so
it is none. Hermes ships cron and webhook "routines" that pair a trigger with
a free-form agent prompt but no deterministic multi-step engine, approval gates,
or audited run state, so it is partial on the trigger side only.
ZeroClaw is a from-scratch runtime, not a fork. The comparison columns state factual support status per runtime; they are not a marketing scorecard. Where a concept maps onto OpenClaw or Hermes, the migration and parity notes live with the relevant feature page rather than in a standalone comparison.
Some capabilities require external infrastructure. Where a channel or tool needs a gateway, public webhook, tunnel, cloud account, local model, or plugin, that requirement is stated on the linked page. Consult the specific channel, provider, or tool reference before assuming a setup works without one.